Lagunitas Brewing Co. – Maximus Ale *

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May 172011
 

There is no good reason that I can think of not to share yet another Lagunitas beer review if I have one handy.  Sure I could break it up just to do so, but I will just wait to end the streak until later this week.  Besides though I do not love everything Lagunitas that I drink, I do not recall ever hating any of them either.  I tend to remember beers I greatly dislike even more so than ones I drool over.

Now on with the early-in-the-week review . . .

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)

Name: Maximus Ale

Style: (American) Imperial IPA

ABV: 8.20% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge, pulled only slightly early to warm some, then served in an oversized wine glass.

Aroma: Tropical fruity, citrusy aroma up front with maybe a little bit of spice.  Nice sweetness with a hint of warmth noticeable.  A full aroma overall, though the choice of glassware can certainly help that perception. – 9/12

Appearance: Medium orangey copper in color.  Slight cream color head that is thick with great retention and leaves a solid trail and legs along the glass.  Very clear with rising bubbles visible.  – 3/3

Flavor: A little hit of sweet malt up front that quickly moves to a bitterness that holds throughout.  Some citrusy hop flavor with a bit of a resin note.  Finishes a bit dry with some bitterness and sweetness holding on some. – 14/20

Mouthfeel: Medium(ish) body (maybe a bit thinner) with a fairly low level of carbonation.  Somewhat smooth, but with some astringency and warmth at the finish. – 3/5

Overall Impressions: Seems to have a similar profile as Undercover Shut-Down, but is definitely a lighter version.  Fairly well balanced components make it pretty enjoyable.  Nicer slightly cold and not too warm because then alcohol becomes too noticeable.  Not nearly my favorite Imperial IPA, but nice.  – 7/10

Overall: 36/50

5724229697 9d3d8a6e40 Lagunitas Brewing Co. Maximus Ale *

Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Maximus Ale

 

 Posted by Lucas at 10:00 am  Tagged with: , , ,

Lagunitas Brewing Co. – Undercover Shut-Down *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
May 132011
 

When collecting a few bottles of beer here and there I never really put much thought into the order that they would ultimately appear here.  However after seeing everything in the refrigerator I start to pair beers off and that is why I have a second Lagunitas review for this week.  I suppose if I really had my act together I likely could have done an entire month instead of just one week.

Easing into the weekend with . . .

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)

Name: Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale

Style: American Strong Ale

ABV: 9.87% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a snifter.

Aroma: Deep, fairly sweet aroma of dark fruit (raisins) with some fruity hop notes floating underneath.  Full, but not that big overall. – 8/12

Appearance: Full, rich, coppery amber color.  Slight cream color head that is pretty thick with good (or at least decent) retention, leaving a solid trail along the glass.  Quite clear with lots of tiny rising bubbles visible.  – 3/3

Flavor: Some bitterness up front over a pretty sweet malty base that is almost sugary.  Pretty thin and light in overall flavor, allowing the boozy warmth to come through a little bit too much.  Finishes smooth with some light bitterness and lingering sweetness. – 13/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a fine carbonation that gives the impression of it being a little low.  Pretty smooth on the palate, though the warmth is definitely there toward the finish. – 3/5

Overall Impressions: A little disappointed in this one overall or at least I am certain that this is not one of my favorite Lagunitas offerings.  Smooth and warming, but without much depth in flavor.  I am not sure if more carbonation would have helped, but I am sure that this is definitely one to drink a little on the warmer side.  – 6/10

Overall: 33/50

5703796248 0fde648043 Lagunitas Brewing Co. Undercover Shut Down *

Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Undercover Shut-Down

 

 Posted by Lucas at 1:30 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Lagunitas Brewing Co. – New DogTown Pale Ale *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
May 102011
 

Since altering my grading system a short while back, I have been thinking of tweaking it again.  That thinking has not yet led to action, but today I will take a short step in what I hope is a better direction.  No longer will my number grade be associated with a word (Excellent, Very Good, etc.) as it has been per the BJCP grading sheets.  Today I am simply removing the word and letting the numbers stand alone.  Soon I think I will bring back the letter grading with a direct tie to a number range.  Hopefully I can decide on that sooner than later.

Now the Tuesday review for this week . . .

Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)

Name: New DogTown Pale Ale

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 6.10% (on bottle)

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.

Aroma: Nice citrusy/fruity hop aroma with a hint of resin in there and a full malty sweetness underneath.  Not overwhelming, but quite nice. – 9/12

Appearance: Pale golden amber color.  One finger off-white head that is creamy and frothy with very good retention, leaving a heavy laced trail.  Very clear with many rising bubbles visible. – 3/3

Flavor: Good hit of resiny hop bitterness up front with a full bready/biscuity malt base.  Hop flavors (citrusy) come through some toward finish and the bitterness balances well with the level of maltiness.  Finishes a bit dry with lingering bitterness. – 17/20

Mouthfeel: Light body (maybe toward medium) with a moderate level of carbonation.  Has some creaminess that lends a bit of body while still maintaining crispness. – 4/5

Overall Impressions: Really enjoy the balance of flavor components.  I have had it on draft so much that I was worried about enjoying the bottle, but it was (at least) as good to me.  On the short list of Pale Ales that I enjoy most and I would be glad to do more research to determine my top three.  Solid fall back beer for me at any time.  – 8/10

Overall: 41/50

5703796004 280b7db54c Lagunitas Brewing Co. New DogTown Pale Ale *

Lagunitas Brewing Co. - New DogTown Pale Ale

5703796186 d95cd774a5 Lagunitas Brewing Co. New DogTown Pale Ale *

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 Posted by Lucas at 10:00 am  Tagged with: , ,
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